CES 2017: The new Samsung Chromebook is Google’s answer to the iPad Pro

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Samsung has officially launched the Chromebook and will make it available starting February, with prices starting at $449. Built from scratch, the Chromebook supports Android Apps and will be available in two models – the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro.

Identical otherwise, the only difference between the two being, the Chromebook Pro uses an Intel Core M3 processor, whereas the Plus is powered by an ARM-based chip. These will be the first Chromebooks to come with a stylus and support for on-screen inking.

Developed in collaboration with Google, the Samsung Chromebook has an all-metal chassis and weighs a little over a 1000 grams, while being over half an inch thick when closed.It features a 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600 pixel LED display, 4GB of RAM; two USB Type-C ports which support charging and 4K video output, a MicroSD card slot and 32GB of onboard storage. A 360-degree hinge lets the device switch between laptop and tablet modes, while Samsung has rated both models for eight hours of battery life.

What makes the Samsung unique is its included stylus, which can be used to write on the screen, grab screenshots, or can be used as a laser pointer. The stylus can also be used to take notes in Google Keep, which are then instantly synced and available for search through Google’s optical character recognition technology.

Google is also using its cloud services to improve the inking experience when writing. According to the search giant, it can predict where you’ll move the pen next, which improves response and makes writing or drawing feel more natural on the display.